


Being Held By You

by dreamsofniall



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chaptered, Gangs, Innocent Niall, M/M, Multi, Niall-centric, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-28 00:59:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2713134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsofniall/pseuds/dreamsofniall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I felt lips brushing my ear, then a soft voice spoke up.</p><p> </p><p>'Niall, Niall, you are something else...'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this my first English story, so please bear with me! English is not my first language and I'm actually still learning it, so there could be errors in my works. 
> 
> I'd LOVE and appreciate feedback! They motivate me to continue :)
> 
> Comment and leave kuddo's. Hope you like it! 
> 
> lyall <3

I walked down the hallways, making my way to the first lesson of the day: maths. I scaredly looked everywhere just in case people were looking for me; not in a good way, I may add.

Suddenly, I heard a blood curling scream and I whipped my head swiftly, trying to figure out what was happening.

As I was about to witness the scene, four guys with red and black coloured masks came running towards me in a high speed. They stopped right in front of me and one of the guy’s shoes made a squeaking sound while doing so. Another guy bent down, wrapped his hands around my waist and scooped me up. He threw my light body over his shoulder. I was too confused to do anything as my head was facing the ground. I didn’t like that at all, to be honest.

This all happened in a few seconds. Nobody noticed anything, that to my great dismay.

But then I got the ability to speak back.

‘Put me down, ya cunt!’ I shouted and pounded on his back. The boy, however, didn’t listen, despite my poor attempt to get him to let me go. My lips quivered and I tried my hardest not to completely freak out. Despite that I kept yelling, my Irish accent becoming stronger with every word.

The boy continued running in the direction of the school’s exit, followed by the other three mysterious boys. I lay on his defined shoulder, eyes tight shut. My hands, that previously pounded on his back, were now balled into little fists. I tried my hardest not to completely freak out. I tended to have massive panic attacks... Don’t freak out, Niall, don’t freak out! I told myself sternly as images of me tied up flashed through my head. I willed myself to calm down by thinking of my mum. This morning she made me delicious sandwiches with bacon and…

A cold gust yanked me out of my thoughts. Out of the corner of my eyes I noticed a car. A car with black tinted windows. The sight of it caused a shiver to go down my spine. Oh no! Now, no one was going to see us, which also meant nobody could help me. I squirmed in the man’s tight grip once again, not being very comfortable on his back. Before I knew it, I felt ground beneath my feet and large hands cupping my face. A wet cloth came in contact with my nose and I felt myself slipping away in a scary darkness...

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up to a phone ringing. I kept my eyes shut and pretended to still be unconscious. When my other senses were better aware of my surroundings, I figured out I was lying on a broad shoulder with my head tucked into the crook of the person’s neck. Arms were wrapped around my waist and my feet were spread out across another person’s lap.

One of the four boys picked up:

‘Hi…’ ‘Yeah, mission completed, we’ve got him.’ After more talking, the man ended the phone call and I felt four pair of eyes on me. The sudden urge to scratch my nose came up, but luckily I knew to suppress the itchy feeling.

‘He’s quite beautiful, isn’t he?’ I suddenly heard someone call out in a posh English accent. Mentally, my eyes widened. What the fuck, was he talking about me? I felt a furious blush creeping onto my cheeks and I panicked. Shit! What if they saw it? What am I talking about, of course they see it!

‘I agree. Awee, he’s blushing in his sleep!’ a surprised voice I wasn’t familiar with exclaimed. I internally sighed in relief. They’re quite oblivious if they think a person can blush while being in their sleeping state. I wasn’t complaining, though.

The man holding me hoisted me further up into his neck and I let out a barely audible groan. I sat upright… and fell off my captor’s lap onto the hard ground.

‘Ouch,’ I murmured and rubbed my bum with both hands. Then I looked up to be met with a pair of beautiful green eyes, a shiver going down my spine at the action. I looked away quickly and turned my gaze towards my trembling hands. My eyes widened when I felt a rough hand cupping my chin, lifting it up to meet another pair of eyes. They were nut brown and looking into mine with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

Meanwhile, the guy with the astonishing green eyes kept staring at me with a lustful look in his eyes. They were raking up and down my body, making me even more uncomfortable, if that was possible.

‘Let’s introduce ourselves,’ grumbled the brown-eyed guy. He threw me a cold look before pointing at a handsome boy who was sitting in the passenger’s seat. Goodness, was I the only ugly one here?

‘His name is Zayn.’ His finger moved to another boy. The boy wore a mischievous look and I knew to watch out for this one. He was handsome nevertheless; of fucking course. I sighed internally.

‘That is Louis, I am Liam and the green-eyed boy over there is called Harry.’ I nodded swiftly and stood up from the ground. My eyes looked around nervously, unsure of where to sit. I jumped as I felt hands around my waist, pulling me into a lap effortlessly. When I calmed down a bit, I slowly dared to look at the person on whose lap I was sitting. My heart began to pound as my eyes met green ones. The pervert. Harry smirked evilly and placed large hands onto my thighs. Just as I thought nothing worse was going to happen, Harry moved his hands further up my thighs. I gulped and wriggled around a bit, hoping to get his hands somewhere else. I stopped immediately when I heard a quiet moan. My eyes went wide and I slowly turned my head to face the smug look on Harry´s handsome face. My face flushed bright red and I whipped my head around to avoid his burning gaze.

I felt lips brushing my ear, then a voice spoke up.

 

‘ _Niall, Niall_ , you are something else.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> New chapter, as I promised.
> 
> Enjoy and don't forget to leave feedback and kudos if you liked it! :D
> 
> xoxo

‘What do we do now?! It’s impossible for us to go there when it’s such a chaos. It would ruin everything, you know?’ A slightly angry but also desperate voice spoke.

‘Calm down, Louis, I don’t think it will be such a problem when we just blind him, go as quickly as possible in the house to grab our stuff, and then try to look for another place.’ 

Another voice sounded. I recognized this one as Liam’s, the one with the nut brown eyes. It became silent and I heard a heavy sigh.

I opened my eyes, only to notice we were still in the car. The car stood still and as I turned my head upwards to look at the others, I saw that Harry was gone. Where did he go?  
I also noticed that this time I wasn’t lying on top of someone’s body, no, I was sitting upright with my head on… I gently raised my head to look at the person’s face… Zayn’s shoulder. I must’ve fallen asleep then, I guess. I placed my head back on his shoulder, careful not to make any sudden movements.

Then it hit me.

I still don’t know what they’re gonna do to me! Maybe they’ll decide they have enough of me and dump me in a river nearby. They could also do it the quick way, and everyone knows what that means, kill me with a knife. Maybe…- Niall, shut the fuck up! I interrupted my own train of thoughts. Everything’s going to be alright, really! I tried to calm myself down. And I’m going to make it alright by giving fate a helping hand. No one gets Niall Horan that easily and that fast!

Before I exactly knew what I was doing, I quickly jumped up and went for the car’s door handle. I pulled on it frantically and to my indescribably great relief it suddenly opened and I tumbled outside. There was no time to enjoy my freedom, so I ran as fast as I possibly could, not at all minding wherever I went. I could hear panicked cries behind me and it felt as if someone was breathing hotly against my neck. That only motivated me to run faster and I fastened my speed till the point where I almost ran past my own legs. Harder, Niall! I told myself. This is probably the only chance you’ll ever get! Pretend your bullies are behind you, ready to beat you to a pulp. 

Despite my encouraging thinking, it was to no avail. My rather short legs couldn’t possibly keep up with the long ones of the person right behind me. I just felt the person was gaining speed. He came closer and closer… 

My arm was grabbed and I got forcefully pushed back into a broad chest. I whimpered and squirmed in the man’s arms, trying to free myself. Of course, the person holding me was way stronger than I was and picked me up bridal style. Liam, because it was Liam, carried me back to the car. 

‘So, Niall, what were you thinking? Huh?’ Liam asked on our way back. Why did he even know my name? He continued. 

‘So you thought escaping would be possible when there are four boys, all four ten times as strong and fast as you are.’ It was obviously a statement. His voice was taunting and I glared at him, attempting to look scary.

‘No baby, you looking like that isn’t going to scare me off. You look about as scary as a little bird.’ He chuckled. I huffed and blushed, but said nothing.

As we reached the car, Liam threw me in it, directly into a pair of awaiting arms. Right, Harry was back. I jerked out of his arms, only to be pulled back. He held me tightly by my waist and seeing as he was way stronger, I made no move to get away. It would be useless, anyway.

‘Okay, Princess, let’s have a little talk, shall we?’ A voice, I recognized as Louis’ started. I started to shake as I looked up with a terrified expression on my face. They were all watching me, looking rather intimidating. I cowered away and tried to make myself as small as possible. Their faces showed no pity, although I could see Liam’s lip twitch.

‘If you ever, and I mean ever, attempt to escape again, we will have no mercy. Got it?’ Louis said, emphasizing ‘ever’. His tone was menacing yet soft. I nodded my head, looking down at my lap. 

‘Good,’ I heard Zayn say softly as he started the car. We were driving again, to a destination I didn’t know a thing about. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Zayn, you take him, We’ll get our stuff, yeah?’ Zayn gave Louis a confirming nod. I noticed that Louis had a leading role in whatever they were playing. He gave orders and the rest followed them. 

Harry, Louis and Liam got out of the car and headed to a big house. I watched as Louis unlocked an old-looking door and motioned for the rest to go in. The door slammed shut and I was left with nothing.

Zayn gestured for me to stay in the car. I obeyed. 

‘Zayn,’ I began. My voice was so soft it was barely audible. You never know; he could do whatever he wants to me. 

‘Yes?’

‘Why did you kidnap me? What have I ever done?’ I got no answer what caused me to carefully look up at his face. It was stony and held no expression. I sighed heavily and looked down again, deciding that saying nothing was the best I could do at this moment. It remained silent for a few minutes and I fidgeted with the zipper of my coat. 

‘Niall, listen, you are not allowed to ask any questions, okay? Only speak when we ask you something.’ I suddenly heard. I nodded and looked at him with fear in my eyes, trying to distance myself from him, going as far as the car would let me. Something flashed in Zayn’s eyes. He scooted closer to me and cupped my chin.

‘Do you fucking understand?’ I nodded as fast as I could, not wanting to cause more trouble. 

The boys returned, chatting and laughing loudly. They look so normal now, I thought to myself. 

 

Who knows what they’re capable of…


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> New chapter as I promised. IT'S CHRISTMAS BREAK AAAAHHH EVERYONE ENJOY IT TO THE FULLEST OKAY?
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for all the kudos and reads!
> 
> Ly and a happy new year! xx

The car ride was endless; at least, it seemed like that. But before I knew it, the car came to a sudden stop and I jerked forward. Before my head could slam into the seat in front of me, I felt a strong hand on my arm. The hand pulled me back.

'Ouch,' I murmured and rubbed my arm. Someone had grabbed my arm with a pretty harsh grip.

'If it wasn't for me, you would've bumped your pretty, little head into that seat, baby,' Louis whispered into my ear. He blew a little air into it. The hot air seemed to go through my entire body what caused shivers to go down my spine. I felt my face grow hot as I moved my body to get away from him; as far as that was possible in this small car. 

It looked like these boys knew I was a generally shy person. They were obviously very amused by it because the last hours they've been doing nothing else than trying to get on my nerves, the last event a perfect example of that. 

Liam, who had been driving, opened the car door and stepped outside. The others followed and I was the last one to get out. Louis stood close to me, watching my every move out of the corner of his eye. Okay, I definitely broke their trust in me, not that I cared; obviously not. 

Then I let my eyes roam our surroundings. I could only see tall, dark trees. They were standing next to each other in long rows till the point where I couldn’t see further, dark green bushes in between them.  
So, we were in a forest, I made the note in my mind.

Scary questions and thoughts popped up into my mind. Why the hell are we here actually? What are their plans with me? I wouldn’t be surprised if they just left me here to die on my own. It’s not like they’ve been very kind to me so far. 

A tattooed arm grabbed me softly and pulled me along. Harry tucked me into his side and I looked up with big eyes.

‘Just to make sure you won’t run again,’ he said innocently, winking at Zayn who grinned a bit. A colour creeped unto my cheeks and I was confused as hell, but I let it slide. Not that I could give a cheeky remark or something, I wouldn't even have the chance seeing as I was too busy keeping up with Harry's long strides.

It was then, that I saw a huge villa. The villa looked rather scary and dark with huge windows and high rooftops. The roofs towered over the tall trees I mentioned earlier, so you could imagine how high they were. 

Before I could hold it in, a sound slipped from my mouth. My eyes widened as my head shot up. I carefully looked at the other boys, afraid they'd heard me. They hadn't seemed and I looked at the floor again. 

I suddenly felt a harsh tug on my arm. Harry dragged me with him forcefully, a tight grip on my arm. His mood from earlier had vanished completely. His knuckles were white and his jaw was clenched. I gulped and tried not to show how scared I really was. That's why I distracted myself by, once again, attempting to keep by his side, 

Before I knew it, we were standing in front of the dark gate. Louis raised his hand and I saw a black remote resting in the palm. He pushed a small button and the gate opened itself with a squeaking sound. 

The opening of the gate showed an enormous garden, statues and fountains proudly doing their tasks; standing still, sprinkling a generous amount of water. 

I didn't have much time to observe the beautiful surroundings, though, because my arm was grabbed and I got pulled along once again.

'C'mon Niall, there's no time for this now,' Harry warned, voice sounding strained. I nodded and walked towards the front door with Liam and Harry by my side. Louis and Zayn trailed behind. They both wore insecure looks.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

And there I sat, all alone in a small, dark room. The boys had dragged me up the stairs. They managed to throw me in this room, in spite of my struggling. Not that that would've changed a thing, though. Looks like my prediction did come out after all. 

The room contained a dusty, tiny bed. However, the bed was still too big for me. But wasn't almost any bed? In the corner stood a sink and beside the sink was a door. I had already discovered what could be behind that door; a bathroom with a toilet and shower. As you could see, I had no rights to complain. But I only wanted one thing, only one thing: to go back to my parents and my old life. Even if that meant going back to my bullies. Everything better than this room. But that was too much to ask for, obviously. The boys won't ever let me go. At first I thought they wouldn't be too bad. Guess I was wrong. Look at the last events!

How could this have happened? Maybe I should've put more efforts in my escape. But then I remembered Louis' words. He told me there would be further consequenses if I attempted to escape ever again. 

Maybe I should just give up...

But then I shot up. No! A Niall Horan doesn't give up that easily! He'll keep going until he almost can't anymore, and then... maybe then, he'll give up. Now's not the time for giving up.

The door squeaked and I whipped my head up, having heard the sound in the completely silent room. My heart thumped in my chest. I was really afraid the person would hear it, so I put my hand over my heart to try and make the sound less audible. To no avail, obviously. 

The shadow walked in further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..... How's that called again? When you leave readers like I just did? Omy I'm sooo frustrated!  
>  Okay, never mind...
> 
> CLIFFHANGER hahahahahahah omf, that was it! Ignore me, please. I'm just a little weird. 
> 
> Hope you all liked it though!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy :D

'Stand up and come with me,' Liam demanded. I stood up with shaky legs and a pale face. Suddenly, I lost control over my body and fell over. My eyes fluttered shut as I braced myself for a harsh tumble to the ground.

That never happened, though. Before my body could come in contact with the ground, I felt myself being pulled into a hard chest. An 'oomf' sound slipped from my mouth as my saver tightened his arms around my waist. 

I turned around in Liam's arms to place my hands against his chest, feeling his hard abs underneath them. I immediately got the sudden urge to trace the abs with my fingertips. But that's not what I did. Of course not! Why in the world would I do that, right?

That's why I instead of that pushed against Liam's chest in an attempt to be released. He of course didn't even budge, but only tightened his arms even more and as I looked up at his face I saw one corner of his mouth was pulled up in a sexy teasing smirk.

Ho! No, Niall! You didn't think that, okay. It definitely wasn't sexy, it rather looked like he was pooping, duh. Yes, that's it. I nodded my head against his chest to put emphasis to my thoughts. 

I decided on doing one last attempt because I was Niall Horan and struggled again, putting both hands on his shoulders to push him off me with all my force. 

Damnit! Why am I so weak? I'm fucking 18! I should be fucking able to push someone off me, no matter the person's strength. And why couldn't he just stop teasing already? I was about to tell him that, but refrained from doing so for one simple reason. Imagine me being flustered as fuck as I stutter, trying to get words out. So... no fucking way. 

Finally, Liam loosened his grip on my waist and I jerked my body away from him as fast as possible. To no avail, because he grabbed my wrist again and began to drag me out of the door, into a dark, long hall. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I was able to make out contours of paintings, hanging on the walls around us. 

As we reached a staircase, Liam picked me up bridal style and walked down the stairs. I let out a surprised sqeaul and blushed a dark red.

'You have short legs and I'm in a hurry, so...' Liam trailed off, grumbling. I didn't answer, but buried my head in his chest. Excuse me, I'm only human and he is really warm. 

'Why are you taking me downstairs?' I asked in a small voice. Even though Louis told me I wasn't allowed to speak unless they asked me something, Liam seemed way softer than Louis, so I took the plunge, hoping he didn't get mad.

'To eat,' was his short reply. 

So... They're not going to starve me. Good to know.

We reached a stately door, and Liam continued to hold me with one hand to open the door. How did he even manage tha- 

Oh. My. God. 

The sight in front of me caused my eyes to widen comically. There were about fourty young men sitting on chairs and tables. It was quite noisy in the room because of everyone talking and laughing with each other. 

My eyes flew to the nearest table. One man was just bursting out into roaring laughter as he pounded another man on the back. I guess it was a hard slap because said man winced a bit, but laughed back anyway. On the other side of, I guess it's a living room, I saw Harry, Louis and Zayn. They were also laughing loudly and chatting to four other men. Liam made his way through the room full of tables and chairs and men with me still in his arms. Then, I knew why exactly he had picked me up; not because of my short legs and all that shit. No, the fucker just wanted to show me off to all these men. Mainly to watch me squirm under all the attention I would get. 

Suddenly, the room quieted down as people began to notice me and Liam. Eyes widened and jaws dropped. Someone broke the silence by whistling shrilly.

'Aye, Liam, what've you got there, man? Who's the little cutie in your arms?' As I looked at the speaking person, I noticed it was the same man who got slapped on the back a few moments earlier. 

'Wow, Li. You wanna share him?' another man asked in a sweet voice before almost rolling over the floor from laughing so hard. I buried my hot face further into Liam's chest, almost dying from shame. I just wanted to die then and there. I had never been as flustered as I was at that moment. Hello, how would you react to whistling, dirty men? 

Liam didn't react to those men, which I was very thankful for. He reached the table where the other three boys were sat and sat down as well. Harry immediately reached out and pulled me into his lap. Zayn looked slightly dissapointed while Louis wore an angry look on his face.

A boy approached our table and crouched down in front of me.

'Hey sweetie, do you want something to eat or drink?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not checked, so Ihope there aren't too many mistakes :)


	5. Chapter 5

I looked around with scared eyes, feeling almost all men's eyes on me.

'Err...' came out shakily. 'M-maybe a c-coke?' I blushed madly and cursed myself for my nervous stuttering. I heard a man coo before laughing softly. A few men joined him.

My eyes flew to my shoes and I gazed at them as if they were the best thing in the world. Well, obviously not... The best thing in the world right now would be: being safe at home, in mum's arms. I don't give a flying fuck if I sound like a momma's boy because I actually have every right to sound like that.

'O my god! He's Irish!' the bruntte boy in front of me suddenly squealed. I flinched at his exclamation and felt Harry's arms tighten around me. I put my own hands on his arms and looked up at his face with a blush. He smirked at me and pinched my warm cheek. I so badly wanted to slap his hand away, but I stopped myself just in time. By the looks of it, Louis wouldn't quite enjoy that. The look he threw us was not something to disrespect. 

A sound of approval sounded through the room at the brown-haired boy's words.

'Hey Liam, you should keep him, man. You could have fun with this boy!' a red-haired man advised cheerily. As I looked over at him, he had just turned his head towards me. At my look, he winked at me slowly. My stomach lurched and I looked away quickly. 

In response to the man's remark, Liam stared him down, watching his every move intensely. The man shifted in his seat and began to laugh nervously. I must say, the sight is pretty amusing; a tough, muscular man getting all nervous just because of Liam's staring. I wonder what kind of positions these four boys have in this group.

Some men picked up their conversation and soon after the rest followed. A sigh of relief left my mouth and I rested my head against Harry's warm chest. Whoa, that doesn't feel bad at all. A second sigh dodged its way past my lips and I closed my eyes, tired of all previous happenings. I drowned out the noises in the room and felt myself doze off slowly. /p>

'Hey, don't fall asleep on Harry now,' Zayn whispered into my ear, nudging me softly. My eyes shot open again and I jumped, only to land onto the ground with a harsh thud. I looked around with dazed eyes, not fully understanding why exactly I was on the floor.

That didn't last, though, because I felt myself being hoisted up into a pair of arms. Again. What's today with all these people, touchy feeling and all?

The person holding me, stood up, carefully not to bounce me too much, and began walking to the direction of the door. I closed my eyes again and my head automatically fell against the person's chest. I don't know, I'm just so tired, right now. Someone else held open the door for him and the boy walked through the door, bouncing me lightly in his steps.

Zayn's POV:

He's definitely the most adorable thing to walk around on this earth, hands down. Currently, I was carrying him and he had fallen asleep, head against my chest. I guess I understand now why we have to protect this boy.

As we reached the huge kitchen, Louis opened the door for me again. I gave him a slight nod and walked over to a chair to sit Niall down on it. His eyes fluttered open before blinking a couple of times, probably to get clear sight. 

Meanwhile Harry was busy making a sandwich while Liam poured some milk into a glass. They approached us and set the stuff down in front of Niall. He looked at it confusedly, trying to figure out what to do with it. He clearly wasn't fully awake yet.

'You're supposed to eat and drink it, Niall.' I chuckled at his cuteness. His eyes widened as he blushed and looked down. Niall's small hands brought the glass of milk to his mouth and he clocked it down with maybe three or four gulps, certainly not more. We all stared at him in awe. He, however, didn't even notice us staring because he had already begun to eat his sandwich. 

'You hungry, babe?' Liam asked, eyes comically wide. Niall nodded a bit shyly. He finished his sandwich quickly after and folded his hands in his lap, not knowing what to do with them.

'C'mon,' Louis demanded.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Niall's POV:

They took me to the living room and as we stepped in, I noticed all men had left. My tensed body relaxed and I unclenched my fists as we all walked to a couple couches. A huge tv hang on the wall, remote next to it on small table. Louis grabbed the remote while Zayn turned the tv on. The news came on and Louis changed the channels until he had found something good. Well, good? It was all horror, something I wasn't really comfortable with, but I guess I should cope with it. 

Good thing, though, I felt myself become sleepy again and I rested my head back on the leather of the couch. I shifted a bit, trying out different positions until I had found one I was able to sleep by. 

As my eyes fluttered shut, I felt a hand in my hair, lightly brushing through the blond strands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> Hope this satisfies your needs for a while XD This was actually just a filler, sorry for that, but it's better than nothing, right?
> 
> Oh yeah, something in this chapter lets you know a bit about the plot... BUT IM NOT GONNA TELL YA
> 
> HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR FEEDBACK and remember; I'm not allergic to it so keep going ;D
> 
>  
> 
> xoxo


	6. Chapter 6

Muffled voices were what I woke up to. First, I couldn't at all make out what the voices were saying and it sounded like this:

'Tell him... Not actually... But protectors..?' 

I slowly opened my eyes and could barely make out the sight in front of me. Four black figures were sitting at a table, heads close to each other. 

Liam, Harry, Louis and Zayn.

They clearly thought I was still sleeping seeing as they just let me lie here while they were talking about something I think they didn't want me to know.

I'm not going to change their minds, omg, that would be about the stupidest thing I've ever done. No, I'm planning on eardropping, even though my mum taught me not to. But why not, right? It's not like they are doing legal things right now, right?

I fake-whined a bit in my 'sleep', moving around on the couch. A little too wild... The blanket which was draped over my body, slowly fell off my shoulder onto the floor causing a sound which was impossible not to hear in the room, silent, apart from the mumbling of the boys.

Oh no! I panicked. Just act like any normal sleeping person would do, Niall, I told myself.

And so I tried to keep my breathing as regular as possible and lay completely still, just knowing the boys were looking at me. They had stopped talking as well. 

After a while I heard footsteps approaching the couch I was lying on. My body stiffened, but I tried not to show it. Suddenly, warmth engulfed my body again, the soft fabric of the blanket covering it. Then a hand brushed my cheek and I almost jumped at the sudden action. Nevertheless, the urge to lean into the touch came up. I, however, suppressed that and instead whined softly, pretending to react to the touch, still in my fake sleeping state.

The hand left my face after the whiny noise had left my mouth, clearly surprised by it. I wanted to let out another sound, this time a relieved one, but stopped myself just in time. Oh my god, I should be an actor with my sleeping skills. *note sarcasm*

After two minutes of silence I was almost positive everyone had left the room, even though I hadn't heard a single thing. I rolled over onto my side, body facing the living room, eyes still closed.

I almost let out a scream after feeling another hand lightly touching my cheek. This time it was a more calloused and bigger hand. 

The hand moved down and stopped just above my lips. I was scared my heart would beat out of my chest. Who knows what this person is going to do next? They could kill me, for all I know; people are vulnerable in their sleep and these boys have only once shown they have a heart: by giving me food. 

The person continued their touching and before I knew it a fingertip traced the soft cupid bow of my top lip. To be fair, my self esteem wasn't really stable anymore, me wanting so badly to just jump up and go as far away as I can from these perverts. I wondered if they do this to every sleeping person? 

The touching stopped and after a while the talking/mumbling began again. This time I could exactly hear what they were saying.

'So, are we going to tell him?' someone asked. I could tell by the deep voice it was Harry. Tell who? And what exactly? 

'Tell what exactly?' Whoa, could Louis read minds, or something? He went on.

'Let's not tell him everything, okay? Maybe just the protecting thing and that's enough.' 

'I agree with Louis,' came Liam's calm voice. 'If we tell Niall...' wait, what? Niall? '... about his ability he'll for sure freak out. And by the way, I think he's way too fragile to know all about us yet.' Pfft, me and fragile? They obviously don't know me! And what does Liam mean by 'knowing all about them'? What are they hiding from me?

I felt myself become drowsily and before I knew it, I was out like a light.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Niall's POV:

I woke up and was met by the fabric of my uncomfortable mattress. I blinked a few times, sighed and then fell back asleep.

Liam's POV :

I opened Niall's door and looked inside. Niall was sleeping peacefully, in spite of the hard mattress. However, his face was contorted slightly and his lips held a frown. I sighed. We really didn't want him to feel terrible because of us. But there was nothing to do about that, unfortunately. We have to follow our boss' orders and if we don't do that, we would surely get fired. And separated from each other at the same time.

I walked over to the mattress and looked down on the sleeping boy. Before I could stop myself, my eyes trailed down his form. I bet he's really pale underneath all those clot- God Liam, you're an almost grown-up man, don't even think about that. I think I know understand why our friends acted like perverse old men when they saw Niall. 

I couldn't help my feelings, though. Niall is a beautiful boy with angelic looks and a body that just screamed innocence. Maybe that's why I'm kind of attracted to him. I had always had the urge to protect anyone who looked like they needed protection. I know for a fact that this boy not only looks like those kind of people, but also really needs it. 

I bent over and picked the sleeping boy up under his armpits. I once again was surprised at how he weighed almost nothing. 

I walked down the stairs, liking the feeling of Niall in my arms. Once I reached the door of the kitchen, he woke up, obviously by the delicious smell of pancakes. He blinked a few times, dark eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks, and then looked up, right into my eyes. I winked at him and tightened my grip, causing him to whimper a bit. My mouth watered at the sound, but I ignored it and opened the kitchen door. 

Niall wriggled a bit and I, for once, obeyed him and put him down on the floor. He muttered a shy 'thanks' and looked down at the noses of his shoes. I smiled at the other boys who were watching attentively. Harry stood at the counter; of course he was the one making pancakes.

'You want some?' Harry asked, no expression on his face. Oh yeah, we had to keep up our act. 

Niall's face flushed. It's really intriguing how he can change colours so quickly.

'S-sure,' he whispered. This is what I meant by innocence. You just got a perfect image.

Harry turned to his pancakes and I saw that the corner of his mouth was turned upwards.

After we both got our pancakes, everyone sat down at the kitchen table.

'So Niall,' Louis started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii! 
> 
> First of all: TYSM for all the reads and kudos. I swear my eyes have been rolling out of my head a couple times now since I started this book 0_o
> 
> Don't have much to say. Hope you enjoyed this!
> 
> As always: leave kudos and comments ;D
> 
> Byeee  
> xoxo


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY. That's all I have to say. I'm really busy with school atm :'(( And I'm not always able to update as well.
> 
> Hope this keeps you satisfied for a while tbh *cough cough* (it's really not that much... (I hate myself for that, AND SCHOOL))
> 
> Anyway, leave kudos and COMMENTS please. I love that and I love you all, okay?
> 
> xoxoxo

'Okay, Niall, do you have any idea why we took you?'

I shook my head. That's what I've been trying to figure out from the beginning.

'Well, we can't exactly tell you all about it. What we're allowed to tell you, though, is that we only did it to protect you...' Harry's voice trailed off and a silence followed. In that silence I tried to comprehend what Harry just told me. Thoughts were wirling through my mind and I was so confused. I'm sure my face was one big question mark. 

'Errmm, w-what were you saying?' I asked timidly, scared I heard it all wrong. 

'Like Harry said, we took you because we've vowed to protect you with our lives.' I almost couldn't believe my ears. What the fuck do they mean by that?

'What do y-you exactly m-mean?' God, how I hated my shaky voice.

'Look baby,' I scrunched my nose up at the petname, 'we know you're really confused and all, but we really can't tell you about it. One day, though, you'll find it all out, I'm pretty sure about that.' 

And with that Harry ended the conversation by walking out the kitchen. I was still confused as hell, but decided not to comment on it. The smell of pancakes made me aware of their presence and I looked up, right in Louis' blue eyes. I looked down at my pancakes again, as though hinting I was hungry.

'You're allowed to eat.' Louis' voice sounded. It cut the uncomfortable silence and I felt a warm blush spreading itself across my cheeks. I nodded slightly and dove right in. A moan almost left my mouth at the delicious taste. Harry really outdid himself there! I hadn't tasted something quite as good as this in a long time. 

While eating I thought about Harry's words. What do they even mean by protecting? I could take good care of myself and I didn't need these boys for that. It's really offensive as well, these boys acting as if I'm a vulnerable baby. 

Suddenly I got a bit angry. Why won't they tell me anything, huh? If it's about me I have every right to know about this mysterious stuff, don't I?

'You alright, Niall?' I suddenly heard a voice ask. It was Zayn. I looked up from my pancakes right into his pretty brown eyes. They held a serious look and I had almost forgotten that they could actually be nice guys with a kind heart. They did drop the act of pretending to be scary, intimidating men.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' I murmured, looking down quickly. One bite and I was finished, I noticed. I slowly brought the pancake to my mouth and ate it. This was at the same time an effective way of not having to talk, too, of course.

'Boys, boys!' the panicked voice of Harry sounded. It seemed to came out of nowhere, but as I looked closely, I noticed an opened door on the other side of the kitchen. Harry stood in the doorway and his eyes were dark. He looked scary as fuck right now, to be honest. 

'Calm down, Haz! What happened? Take a deep breath and try to tell us.' 

Harry calmed down a bit by slowly inhaling and exhaling and then stared at Liam with a serious expression on his face.

'Liam, I suggest you take Niall, doesn't matter where to, at least somewhere safe where other people but us can't come.' Liam's eyes widened and he took a deep breath, trying to process Harry's words.

'Okay. And if I do that, will you tell me what happened later on?' Harry nodded, his curls bouncing along.

'Yes, yes! And now hurry, please!' 

Liam bent down to my height as I was still sitting on the chair and looked me in the eyes.

'Hey, baby. Remember this: whatever happens, we'll always be there to protect you, okay? Don't worry about the future.' 

As I was still wondering what this was all about, he had already scooped me up in his arms. I yelped an unmanly sqeauk and immediately blushed beet red. Liam's soft mood changed to a more teasing one. Of course, why not? This was bound to happen. He laughed softly, warm breath stroking my ear.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo!
> 
> Finally! I know right, this is veeeery late and I'm sorry. I could come up with excuses and all, but it's actually only the school life that's in my way... Gotta hate school, right?
> 
> But this chapter is the longest one yet, sooooo enjoy! ;D
> 
> xoxo

I shot up when I heard something strange. Well, I didn't really shoot up seen as Liam was still carrying me. It seems like he noticed my sudden movement because his arms tightened their already tight grip on me. I made an 'oof' sound what resulted in an apology from him. He loosened his grip to make me more comfortable.

My legs were wrapped around Liam's hips and I had my hands folded behind his broad back. His head was bent and warm breath was stroking my blonde hair. It was icy cold outside. I noticed I was wearing a big, warm coat that went to my mid thigh; it was obviously Liam's because he was only in his hoodie. 

The weird noise I had heard earlier seemed to come from some drunk man because as we approached the corner, I could see this drunk man. He was leaning against a wall with a beer in his hand and making the same noises again.

Just then I figured out we were walking for quite a long time because: where are the tall trees and the bushes and especially, where is the wood? More questions popped up in my mind. Why the fuck are we actually walking outside? Why is it so cold? Well, that was a pointless question, but whatever. 

I think this has something to do with them having to protect me. Harry was really panicky when he told Liam to take me somewhere safe, though.

'Hey Liam,' 

'Hmm?' The answer was a bit distant. Hesitantly I continued.

'D-do you exactly know why we had to leave the house?' 

Liam gently unfolded my hands from behind his back before he lifted me by my armpits to put me down. A little gasp left my mouth at the sudden movement. The height difference was very clear now because I literally had to look up at him. 

'Do you think you can walk on your own, little one?' I felt anger boil inside of me. Hello, wake up! I'm eighteen years old for fuck sake. And I also don't want to be called a 'little one'' What does he even think? I didn't tell him about my thoughts obviously, but shyly nodded instead.

'Niall, I can't really tell you everything, but all I can tell is that we have to protect you for a reason. '

Whoa, what kind of half assed answer is that? If you protect someone, you always do this for a reason, right? But once again I kept quiet and we were walking next to each other in silence until we reached a building which I recognized as a big pub. The pub had several floors, I noticed, and was rather recognizable for passers with its bright colours and pounding music.

'Listen to me, Niall. I know the owner of this pub and that will be quite convenient if we're going to stay here for a while. So, please don't screw this up and if someone asks for your name, tell them your name is Mick. Also, you're my younger cousin. Just be yourself, but don't say anything unnecessary, is that clear?'

I nodded obediently without asking. Pfft, as if I would do that. Liam smiled softly at me, holding the door open. I blushed slightly as I walked into the pub. Remember, Niall, he's your cousin!

By the first step in the pub the music pounded into my ears. People were all over the place, either piss drunk or just dancing their asses off with partners or random people. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see someone approaching us. This someone appeared to be a man, I think the owner Liam was talking about, with a quite big belly from the alcohol, and many tatoos. The man spread his arms and shouted enthusiastically:

'Liam, mate, nice to see you again, mate! How's it going, mate? Who's the little fella you've got there?' I disliked this man already. First off, he used the word 'mate' a little too much and secondly he called me a 'little fella'. 

The two men gave each other a weird kind of hug while grinning widely at one another. I guess Liam does like this man then.

'Pete, my friend! Nice to see you too, 's been far too long. By the way; this is Mick, my cousin.' Liam gestured vaguely in my direction as he and Pete continued to talk. I zoned out only to be shaken out of my thoughts again as I heard words like 'stay here' and, surprise, 'mate'. 

'So, it's alright with you if we stay here for as long as it's necessary? I want my cousin to know all about the life in a pub, you see.' 

That was literally the shittiest story I had ever heard. However, Liam spoke really convincing and appeared to be a natural liar, so I guess it's alright. And, most important, Pete seemed to believe him.

'Of course it's fine by me, mate! Your friends are my friends, as well as your cousins, especially if they're not too bad-looking.' He winked at me and looked me up and down. I nervously fiddled with the zipper of Liam's coat. I had just now realized how I must look like. I'm not exactly the biggest guy and this coat only punctuates this by making me look like a fifteen year old. 

Liam gave Pete a warning look and Pete immediately threw his hands in the air in defense.

'Easy there, mate. I won't do anything to him, well, if he doesn't want it. If it's the other way around, we'll come back to this...' He winked at me again and I shuddered a bit.

 

Pete took us upstairs and as we reached the second floor, he pointed to a door which was on the other side of the long hall. 

'You're gonna stay there, mates. I hope you don't mind that you have to share a room and a bed.' Liam looked down at me just as I looked up. His brown eyes darkened and I quickly averted my eyes to look down at the ground again. Oh no! My heart began to beat faster. Not in the same bed! I can't even stand to look him in the eyes, let alone sleep in the same bed. And the few times we've touched were exactly when I was sleepy and not aware of my surroundings; or when he basically forced me to touch him. I'll just sleep on the floor, I thought to myself.

'That's no problem at all, Pete. Thank you so much!' Liam smiled kindly at Pete as we made our way to our room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo sorry for the long wait... School is messing with my life again *sobs*
> 
> I can't even describe how amazed I am at the support this book is getting, though! Thank you all so much! Love ya! *mwaahhh*
> 
> Enjoy thizzz!! :)

I quietly grabbed a few soft pillows from the big bed as well as the thick purple duvet I'd seen covering the couch. With these things I built a reasonably comfortable bed on the floor. Liam was currently in the bathroom which gave me the perfect opportunity to just lie down and try to sleep without being harrassed by that brown haired twat.

Just as I finally began to doze off, the door to the bedroom opened and Liam stepped in. Not that I was able to see this, really, but c'mon, who else could it be? I kept my breathing as steady as possible hoping he would once again think I was fast asleep, just like that one time in the living room.

His soft footsteps came closer and I heard shuffling around. This continued to go on for a while before the sounds came much closer to my body and Liam's body heat was practically enveloping me. I trembled slightly. 

Liam sighed, pulling away from me only to come back after a few seconds.  
(I still didn't have any idea of what he could have been doing when he was hovering over me) 

The heavy weight of a blanket was thrown about my shivering body which immediately caused my shivering to diminish. I didn't know if it was because I felt safer with that blanket around my body, or if the thought of my mother who used to do that all the time managed to calm me down.

Anyway, after a few minutes I was completely out cold, exhausted from the long day.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

The men came closer, arms spread out widely in front of them, all of them grinning evilly.

'Niall... Niallll, NIALL!' 

The voices seemed to get louder and louder as the men got closer and closer. So loud, that he had to cover his ears with his hands, because if he didn't he would've been deaf.

Niall was absolutely petrified and just as someone was about to grab onto his thin white t-shirt, he saw something, or rather, someone, who almost gave him a heart attack.

There, in front of him stood one of those forty pervy men...

'NIALL!'

Liam's voice was near my ear which caused me to jolt upright and let my frantic eyes wander over the surroundings. Cupboards, a plain bed... a sink... I sighed in relief. I was in one of the rooms above the pub.

Just as I realized that, I noticed Liam who was right in front of me, face close to mine. His eyes were dark, searching mine.

'Niall, are you okay?!' The tone he used was urgent as he came closer, pressing a cold hand to my hot forehead. 

I slowly took my shaking hands from my ears and pushed Liam's hand away. 

Strange... Apparently in real life I had also covered my ears, just like in the dream.

I shook my head and looked anywhere but at the brown haired boy in front of me. I wanted to say something, but it seemed as if nothing could get past my dry lips. I swept my tongue over the seam to wetten them 

Suddenly, before I could even comprehend what was going on, I could feel myself moving and the blankets and one pillow with me.

After a while I was gently laid down on the soft fabric of Liam's bed. I sneaked a quick peek and saw him walking over to the other side to lay down as well.

I was trying to fall asleep again, not before willing the restless beating of my heart to go down, but then Liam decided to speak up.

'C'mere, little one.'

I stiffened and tried to avoid making any movement, pretending I had fallen asleep, so he would leave me alone. I heard a deep sigh coming from him and then an arm snaked around my waist. My body stiffened up even more and my breathing became shallow.

Before I knew it, my head was pulled into a muscular chest and I could hear the sound of a beating heart. *thump thump thump*

'I know you're awake, so stop pretending.' His voice sounded stern and I gulped slightly, not giving up on my act just yet. Liam's arms tightened around me to the point where he was nearly crushing me. I think he did it just to catch me in my act. He gave up though and just tangled his legs with mine,yawning lightly.

'Stubborn little prick.' He breathed. 

Then he chuckled softly and I could feel the vibrations against my cheek.

'Night, baby.'

\-----------------------------------------------------------

I woke up to soft breathing stroking my neck and tightening arms around my waist. 

I was actually quite comfortable. I buried my head further into the hard surface and sighed. 

But-

I jumped up and flew out of the bed, landing on the floor with a harsh thud.

In the process I had taken my blankets with me and was now tangled in it. I struggled to get free, to no avail.

Then I sensed someone staring at me and my head whipped up, staring straight into Liam's eyes. He looked confused at first, but once he understood what happened he burst out laughing, pointing at me and laughing even harder.

'N-Niall! Haha! Oh-my-god! Hahaha  
-you stupid boy.'

I felt my cheeks heating up, the flush going all the way down my neck. I glared at my feet, too shy to look up at Liam.

'Don't laugh at me! It's not even funny.' My voice came out weaker than I had thought and I pouted.

'Do-don't l-laugh at m-me??' he repeated, 'how can I not laugh? Oh god, you should see yourself right now!'

He got out of bed and walked towards me with slow strides, face full of misschief. Oh no! I thought, here we go again!

Liam leant in and purred lowly into my ear. 'It is funny, though.' 

I yelped and flinched away from him, heart beating fast. He followed my movements with a teasing grin.

Then, totally unexpected, his face got serious and I watched the change of expression in amazement.

'But to be serious, Niall, what exactly happened the other night?' 

I shrugged my shoulders lightly, not wanting to tell him about the dream.

Liam's eyes darkened as fast as a cloud would during a thunderstorm and I gulped at the sight, shuffling backwards a bit. 

'What was your dream about?' He grittet out slowly, emphasising each word. 

I noticed his grim face and clenched jaw, but still didn't say anything.

Smack!  
Something hard and painful came into contact with my face and I immediately clutched my burning cheek. 

What was that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think in the comments! You all really make my day with your comments :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeks out from under bed* HIYAAAAAA HOW'S IT GOING GUYS? I'm finished with my tests (*throws a party*) and this is the result.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to anyone who's commented on the last chapter! Your comments really made my day! :D  
> I hope you like it and enjoyy reading xx

I stumbled back a few steps and gingerly raised my hand to touch my cheek. The skin was hot and burning and it really hurt. I was so speechless and kept staring at Liam until realization finally hit me like a ton of bricks. I must get out of here... now... and fast. I wasn't able to think straight as I made a run for the door, bolting out of it with tears rolling down my face.

And yesterday I felt so safe...

'Hey! Where you going, mate?' Oh no, Pete...

I looked behind me, and saw the fat man trying to follow me, keyword trying. If it wasn't for my miserable state, I certainly would've laughed upon seeing his fat bounce up and down as he was trying to keep up with me.

'I'm j-just g-going to look a-around in the c-city, don't w-worry about m-me,' I said softly, unable to hold in a small sob. I didn't really mind if he heard it or not. I only hoped my voice didn't sound too scratchy and cursed my stuttering. 

As I was looking around me, I barely saw anybody on the streets. I didn't know what day it was, but I guessed a Sunday, judging by the view. Good thing the shops were open, so I could get a proper breakfast. I asked a few people who looked nice if they knew the way to the mall and they gave me directions. I sent them a sweet smile and continued my search.  
I had never been good with directions and navigating and thus after half an hour of walking and frustrated swearing, I finally came across the first shop. A clothing shop. Fuck! I sighed and bent over to rub my tired legs. 

The street stones looked really comfortable, like, really comfortable... Following my heart I randomly sat down on the cold street. There I sat, on a street in a mall. Not my bad there weren't even benches. The few people who passed by gave me pitying looks. I probably looked like a lost musician who didn't know what to play anymore. 

'Momma, can I has one mowe?' The question caused my attention to be directed to a young, cute family. They were all eating croissants from one big bag. The kid licked a few crumbs off her lips and that's when an idea popped up. Pushing my shyness aside, I went over to the small kid and crouched down in front of her. I had to do this. 

'Hello, sweetie, what's your name?' I smiled gently at the blonde haired little girl. She looked up at me cutely and pulled a serious face.  
'I is Elona, and you?' she spoke. My smile got wider, Why do I love kids so much?

'Well, I'm Niall!' I answered. 'You looked so smart, I just had to ask you a question because I'm really sure you know the answer to it.' Her eyebrows furrowed and she nodded a few times, curls bouncing on her little head. By the looks of it, she was taking this very seriously. 

'Could you maybe ask your parents where they bought that yummy food from?' I pointed at the bag in her dad's hand. Her whole face lightened up and she immediately turned her head, looking at her mum questioningly. 

Her mum's head snapped up as a silence fell. She smiled at me friendly, crinkles appearing around her eyes. 

'We just got this from 'FoodParadise'! It's just around the corner and when you look to your right, you are already able to see it,' she told me. I nodded at her and thanked her for the help. I noticed that her gaze on me remained for a few seconds.

'Are you alright, though? You look a little lost...' Her voice trailed off and she had a worried look in her green eyes.

I quickly nodded my head and smiled reassuringly. 'I'm alright ma'am, really, just a bit hungry, haha.'

Her husband pulled at her arm. 'C'mon, sweetheart, let's go.'

'Can I at least have your number?' she asked. Huh? What the fuck... Why does she want my number? I don't even have my phone. Not that she knows that, but, oh well. The boys took it from me. I casually looked her up and down. She looked genuine... And really pretty, but that didn't matter at the moment. Maybe she really cares about other people, specifically me. 

I looked her in the eye. 'Uhm, I'm sorry, but I don't have a phone on me right now.'

'Okay, but let me give you my number then, if that's alright with you?' My eyes widened but I nodded my head nevertheless. I don't understand?

'Uhm, o-okay...' 

'By the way, I'm Gemma and this is my husband Brian. I take it you already know my daughter's name, she's a feisty one.' She laughed and ruffled her daughter's hair, who swatted at her mum's hand. Then Gemma took a small piece of paper and a pen from her jeans and quickly wrote her number down.

'Here you go, Niall! Please, do call me whenever you feel like it, okay?' I nodded shyly and blushed under her intense stare.

We waved at each other and that's when our ways parted.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Good morning and welcome in FoodParadise! What can I get you, sir?' The waitress spoke fast and messily and looked as if she thought of her job as one big joke. I told her my orders and she nodded before walking off, almost tripping over a bin.

I had some time to collect my thoughs, as much as I wanted to avoid that. Liam had slapped me... Across the face... And it still hurt like a bitch and probably looked re- I shot up. 

Oh my god! What if that was why Gemma wanted to give me her number? I had totally forgotten about how my face looked like. I haven't looked in a mirror yet, but I'm not stupid. Liam is not weak and neither was that slap.

So, Gemma most likely saw my bruised cheek and pitied me. Great. I shook my head as tears were at the brim of my eyes. Not the right time, Niall. Don't cry in a freaking restaurant, ok. I wiped my eyes, sitting up a little straighter.

The waitress came back and put my plate and drink on the table with a smile. She looked at me for a little longer than necessary and then bowed sarcastically before walking off again. I guess I was right, she definitely doesn't like her job.

As I was enjoying my food, I got the feeling of being watched. It looked like someone was trying to burn holes into my back and I began to feel quite uncomfortable. I almost didn't dare to turn around... C'mon, Niall! Man up, please.

I slowly turned my head and... looked right into the eyes of the waitress. She was serving at another table nearby mine and sent me a lopsided smirk as she noticed me looking at her. Weird...

I gulped and I could sense the blush on my face. I absolutely couldn't handle other people watching me for a long time. It got even worse when those people didn't didn't mind at all if they got caught. 

When I was finished with my breakfast, I left the bill on the table and walked out. I was honestly glad the boys didn't take my money from me. 

As I was walking through the mall, I got an idea. I had been wearing Liam's shirt for forever now and I didn't want to be reminded of the fact of Liam, so why not buy a new shirt and pants?

I walked inside the first clothing shop I saw and the guy who worked there smiled at me with a big toothpaste smile. I smiled back and headed to the men stuff.  
That's when I heard a voice... which I immediately recognized. Oh no...

'But why didn't Liam go after him, for fucks sake? And what even happened what caused Niall to run off that boldly and Liam to lose his fucking mind?' An angry high-pitched voice. Louis...

'I don't know, Lou. All I know is that we should find him and that this shop is not the place we should be at right now.' Harry.

'But that boy said he saw a blonde small boy with an oversized sweater disappear into this shop. Those clothes were for sure Liam's, well, I don't blame him for making him wear that, but that's not the point right now. It kinda is, but you know, not really if you catch my drift and-...' 

'Louis, shut the fuck up and try to get to your point, fuck!!' 'Okay, geez, don't get your panties in a twist. Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, and the rest of the description fits him perfectly too...' Louis' voice trailed off. 

Their voices seemed to come closer. Okay, that clothing booth over there looked rather interesting...

I didn't think twice and within the blink of an eye I was out of sight and in the clothing booth. With a swift tug the red curtains were closed behind me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Enjoy my horrible writing! :)

I was met with an ear-piercing scream. Turning around I- oh no,fuck... Why does this always happen to me?

An old woman was in the middle of changing. 

Her ridiculous, baby blue shirt was halfway pulled on. Just when I thought she couldn't possibly scream any louder, she proved me wrong.

'Police, POLICE! ANYONE! He's attacking me, oh my god, oh my god. HE'S ATTACKING ME!'

I was just as shocked as the woman and it was as though my feet were glued to the floor and my whole body was frozen.

What do I do now? It seemed like there was no other choice but to get away from her. Now, at this very moment. And that meant getting away from this clothing booth. I just prayed that Harry and Louis were gone already.

I bolted out of the clothing booth and bumped straight into a hard chest. Arms reached out and grabbed my arms to steady me. I looked down and that's when I noticed a tattoo. A bird. A pigeon to be exact.

Oh no.

I slowly looked up at Louis with wide eyes to notice him already looking down at me. There was something in his eyes I couldn't pinpoint. It caused me to trash around in his hold. He had a strong grip on my arms and was obviously stronger than me.

Tears began to wet my cheeks as the thought of having to go back to Liam occurred to me. I didn't want that. Not in a million years. What if not only Liam was the abusive type, but the rest as well? And weren't they 'supposed' to protect me? I seriously had gained trust into them which was all thrown out the window now. Why couldn't anything just go the way I wanted? Why was I caught up in this all?

'Niall James Horan.' Harry's voice was raspy and had a dangerous edge to it. I was so scared I didn't even question the fact he knew my middle name. He slowly came closer to Louis and me, meanwhile gazing into my eyes. His green eyes were burning holes into mine and I got even more uncomfortable than I already was.

'If you don't stop struggling right now, there will be consquences.' I turned my head to look at him with teary eyes and saw that he was serious. Dead serious.

I stopped moving around and just stayed limp in Louis' tight grip. What use would it be if I ran off again? They'd find me for sure.

I was lost in my own little world as Harry and Louis dealt with the crazy woman and some shop assistents. Sometimes I could hear my name, but I didn't bother paying attention to it.  
I was caught, again...

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'You sure Zayn didn't see anyone?' Harry sent Louis a frustrated look.

'Look, if Zayn told us so, we better believe him, okay.' Louis let out a defeated sigh.

'Alright, but I'm gonna kill him if anything happens we didn't plan beforehand...' Harry chuckled at those words.

'Whatever you say, Lewis.'

I walked inbetween them, not uttering a word. Hell, I wouldn't even dare. This time Harry had grabbed me and I was tucked firmly under his arm. No escape possible.

I wondered what they were talking about. What had they planned out for me and was it something I'd rather not want to happen to me? I didn't even believe that protecting shit they talked about anymore.

'That was a nice move you pulled in there, little one.' Louis smirked as he looked down at me. Despite everything I felt my cheeks heat up. I ducked my head and stared at my shoes I'd been wearing for days now.

'But it was not so nice of you to scare that little old granny. She could've gotten a heart attack.' Louis tutted and I got crimson as I recalled the utterly embarrassing encounter.

I didn't dare say a word back and Harry tilted my chin, forcing me to meet his intense green eyes. I swear my heart almost thumped out of my chest at that. His eyes searched my face and stopped at the red spot on my cheek.

Oh no...

I tried to avoid his eyes and looked anywhere but him. I could just sense the anger building up inside of him.

'Who the fuck did this?' I stayed silent.

'I repeat, and I won't do it again, who did this to you?' Harry hissed. I made the horrible mistake of glancing up, right into his eyes that were ablaze with fire.  
His eyes were so dark that I had to close mine.

'Niall... if you don't tell us...' Louis' voice whispered menacingly. A shiver went down my spine. What had gotten into them? Why were they all of a sudden like this?

'L-L-Liam.'

A couple of gasps were heard. I carefully opened my eyes.  
Harry's jaw had fallen and his eyes were huge. 

Louis, on the contrary, had narrowed eyes and looked to be deep in thought.

Suddenly, when least expected, a loud 'PANG' was heard. The ground shook of the impact.

Harry and Louis quickly turned around and I saw their eyes widen. They looked at each other and nodded. Louis walked up to me and with one quick movement he scooped me off the floor into his arms. I didn't have time to react because he was already running off. With one hand he supported me and the other one took his phone from his pocket.

'Hi,' he panted. 'It's all gone wrong... yeah bro... please, please, send more men... '

I had never heard him this panicked. I was so so terrified. My body was trembling all over. My mind was one big mess and thoughts were tumbling over each other.

I couldn't handle this. I just couldn't handle it anymore...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think of it! I absolutely live for your comments :) xo


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